With India set to face Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, captain Rohit Sharma has addressed concerns that his team had an unfair advantage by playing all their matches in Dubai. Critics, including former England skippers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, suggested that India’s lack of travel between venues gave them a significant edge. Some former Pakistan cricketers went further, accusing the ICC of favouritism in allowing India to stay in one location while other teams moved between countries.
Rohit, however, dismissed these claims outright, emphasizing that playing in Dubai did not equate to familiarity. Speaking on the eve of the semi-final, he highlighted how the surfaces at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium varied in every match, challenging his team in different ways.
“No, look, the three matches we played, the nature of the surface was the same. But in all three games, the pitch behaved differently,” Rohit Sharma explained. “In the semi-final, we don’t know which pitch we’ll get. This is not our home, this is Dubai. We don’t play here regularly. This is new for us too.”
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Rohit pointed out that changing pitch conditions had kept his team on their toes. “Today, when the bowlers were bowling, the ball was seaming and swinging a little. We didn’t see that in the first two games. And in the evening, the air gets cooler, increasing the chances of swing. The surfaces may look identical, but each one plays differently.”
The debate over India’s travel—or lack thereof—was reignited after Australia and South Africa travelled to Dubai ahead of their final group matches, unsure of where they would play the semi-finals. Eventually, South Africa returned to Lahore with New Zealand, while India stayed in Dubai as scheduled. Critics argued that India avoided travel fatigue, but all participating teams had agreed to the hybrid model before the tournament began.
Rohit Sharma emphasized that adaptability was key to success. “Every surface has its own nature. You can’t assume that because we played a certain way yesterday, we’ll play the same way today. Different pitches present different challenges. As batsmen, we have to decide whether certain shots are necessary or not.”
He also pointed out the unpredictable nature of spin-friendly conditions. “We saw a little spin today, which we didn’t see in the last game. It’s always changing. Even for us, it’s a bit of a question mark which surface we’ll get in the semi-final because there are four or five being used.”
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India’s final group-stage match against New Zealand underlined the unpredictability of conditions. The team lost seven wickets to the Kiwi fast bowlers, but a resilient 79 from Shreyas Iyer helped them post a competitive 249. India then went in with four spinners—including mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who took five wickets—sealing a 44-run win.
India’s matches were allocated to Dubai due to security concerns over travelling to Pakistan. After prolonged discussions, the ICC, along with the Indian and Pakistani cricket boards, agreed on a hybrid model that split the tournament between the two countries. Despite criticism, Rohit remains focused on the semi-final against Australia, a team that has historically troubled India in ICC knockout games.
